Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-29

nasty business, too, in some WAYS, 1t
amt TT for the likes of you. | don't
want you to be dirtyin' your hands with
/ it, when you're mine. l don't want TO DO
any more of it myself. I'Il show you
Csn be as straight as the next man when
I've got you along"
''But don't you see, jack she said,
slowly, 81 can set plenty of straight men
II want them; my husband is that, snd
stupid enough he is. But the reason l
love you is because you are crooked-a
crooked, desperate old devil, such as my
heart was made for. See, If we put our
hands together with the fingers straight
they can't hold on TO each other: but as
soon as we crook our fingers there's s.
grip 1t would be too absurd if you went
and became good Just when / most want
ed you to be wicked Fancy going TO
Brazil to be good together"
Grady was perpleXed by this badiuage,
and did not know whether to take il as
lest or earnest. He was in sober earnest
himself, and his attitude was simple
enough, though he explained it so awk-
wardly, Love works wonders, and his
love for this CirCean creature had made
him wish to reform. 1t certainly was
absurd, as she had said, but, such as it
was, the wish had taken very deep pos
session of him.
Whether or not she wss in earnest is
much more difficult question. But women
seldom make any lntleXible plans, and
woman who, like this one, mad thoroughly
corrupted her moral and intellectual
principles was likely to adhere TO
course no longer than suited her caprice.
It is quite possible that Grady, had he
taken her in the mood, and known how
10 work her, might have carried her off
with him to Brazil or anywhere else. She
was ready for anything, il only It were
tempting enough. But her feeling for
Grady was an absolutely deprsyed feeling,
as unnatural as the tabled passion of
PssiphT, while his for her he'd developed
from mere animal desire into the pureSt
and most elevated sentiment that had ever
entered his heart. Thus they hat been
moving into opposite directions and could
never again get into sympathy. Grad,
did not realize this, and perhaps the
woman had not fully realized it until now.
The novelty of her experience with him
begun to wear of sometime since, and il
was characteristic Of her that much Of
the fascination with which the man had
inspired her bad been 1issipsted by the
discovery Of their relations by the In
speCtOr of detectives. The secrecy had
been q great part of the charm. But she
was still capable Of recovering her earlier
feeling h5d he known how TO stimulate it
afIesh When he announced his pro
jeCted reformation he probably drove the
last nail into the coffin of his hopes The
noblest office OF woman is to redeem
sinners from evil Therefore, il was the
60 -
nature. She loved only to be corrupt,
and to generate and foster corruption
GAS long as we stick together said
Grady, "ipll be good enough for me"
She had made up her mind within the
last few moments TO have nothing more
TO do with him from this time forth.
i'YOu're not giving me much time to
get ready, pet" she remarked
you've got no eettin' ready to do.
Just take what gave you, and don't you
take nothiu' else. You've got diamonds
enough already TO live ten years on, and
nigh Evin' too. With what I've got in
that box we won't need no more"
81 think | must have a good deal still
OF what you gave me to 90 TO Washing
ton with l can draw that out tomorrow
morning. I've cost you pretty dear alto
gether, haven't /, jack"
"Never you mind what you cost me,
lend money, but | get the worth Of il
back, and so / will from you. I've let
you have your way 8 good spell, but III
have mine for longer :" S He was gazing
st her with glOating eyes, sort of in
termittent grin broadening the lower
part Of his face "Ill marry you the
first chance we gets at parsOn,'
"Weu, that will be 5igamyi at any
rate, " she answered, laughing. al sup
pose II wouldn't matter in Brazil"
"Bigamv be id, You'd be Twin
with me and not with the other fellow,
wouldn't you? They don't call it bigsmy
when they 90 500 for divorce, as they
call it it's al square then But l don't
90 by names; I 90 by what is And if I
marry you and live with you it'u be q
marriage, if ali the lawyers and parsons
gOil' was to get up and say it wasn't.'
She sat still for minute and COuttm
plated the picture thst he presented. To
live with him IS bis wife; humdrum.
honest life, associating with him day and
night, year and year out, for, say
twenty or thirty years Bear
ing him children what children
these would be listening to ms
coarse talk, knowing that ne could never
see En inch into her nature, or C9mpre-
herd the least of her thoughts. The idea
made her feel Stided. In this cold, pas
siTe mOmen her other seIf-ner vicious,
diabolic self-was total enigma T. her.
WHAT, mad this Csli0an ever ks. e / herf
Had she admitted this beast to intimacy
Had she allowed him TO look forward to
possessing her-7er, who was the flower
of patriCIan and cultured wOmsnhoOd2
No. it WIS not she who had done this, but
some Internal imp OF the pit, who hStts
Crept with sJeaIthy guile into her bTsIn
and betrayed it TO his insane ends. WBat
Uas there in common between her and
this creature Of earth and ignorance;
This perception Of the iGcongruityt or
rather unhealthy, of what IRE nevertheless
accomplished and irTevOCable facts is not
81 uncommon experience Of persons who,
with high intellectual powers, have be
come morally depraved. Il is IS thOUg7
the nature, although possessed OF heEisb
influences, Itself remained pure; end a.
times, when the dlsbOlCal crew slum
bered, returned partially to its nOrmaI
consciousness. The disgust and snguish
of these tieeting self reCOgnitiOns must 5s'
acute: II is not remOrse, for il is never
followed by any effort at improvement,
but it is the only kind of punishment
which such natures are capable Of feeling.
Her gorge mad risen against him sew
erai times before this, but she had never
until now actually IOGthed and hated ND
This was probably because she had neYek5